Keyless clock.



' C. H. BELL.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED Anm, 1913.

' 1,087,076, Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

l/:-SHEET 1.

Cm. uuuuuu uma c C. H. BELL.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 191s.

COLUMBIA PLANouRAPn C0.. wASHlNa'ruN. u. c.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BELL, OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SETI-I THOMASCLOCK CO., OF THOMASTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

KEYLESS CLOCK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at The-masten, in the county ofLitchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Keyless Clocks; and I do hereby declare the following,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and thecharacters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisapplication, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of a keyless clock constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 a view thereof in side elevation. F3 a view of the clock-case in central, horizontal section on the linea-b of Fig. 1, with the clock-movement shown in plan. Fig. -l a view ofthe clock in front elevation with the bezel and dial removed. Fig. 5 adetached edge view of the clockmovement. Fig. 6 a view of the clock infront elevation with the bezel, winding-andsetting ring and dialremoved, the parts being shown in their normal or winding positions.Fig. 7 a corresponding view with the parts in their setting positions,with the centering brige removed. Fig. 8 a view in rear elevation of thefront movement-plate, showing the levers employed for shifting the partsfrom their winding to their setting positions. Fig. 9 a perspective viewin rear elevation, of the rotary winding and setting plate. Fig. 10 adetached perspective view of the centering bridge. Fig. 11 acorresponding reverse view thereof. Fig. 12 a detached perspective viewof the sliding setting-arm. Fig. 13 a corresponding view of thebell-crank lever carrying the intermediate gear.

My invention relates to an improvement in keyless clocks of the typeprimarily designed for use as automobile clocks, though not limited tosuch, the object being to produce a simple, convenient, reliable anddurable keyless clock constructed with particular' reference tocentering its winding and setting gear member upon the movement itselfrather than upon the case as heretofore, so as to reduce the wear andstrain of winding and setting to the minimum, as well as the danger ofbreakage or derangement owing to the lateral displace- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application led April 5, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10,1914.

serial No. 759,161.

ment in use of the winding and setting member gear with respect to theelements of the winding and setting trains.

Vith these ends in view, my invention consists in a keyless clock havingcertain details of construction and combinations of parts as will behereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I employ a rotary windingand setting gear member in the form of a circular plate 2 having a largeconcentric opening rcceiving the flange 3 of an annular external gear 4eprojecting from the inner face of the said plate with which the gearrotates. The said gear l sets over and has rotary bearing upon a largecircular bearing-and-positioning hub 5 centrally located with respect tothe clock-movement and formed upon the outer face of a speciallyconstructed centering-bridge G secured by screws 7 to the outer face ofthe front movement-plate S of the clock. The said hub 5 is formed with acentral opening 9 for the reception of the sleeve 10 of the hour-wheel11, the center-arbor 12 projecting forward through the said sleeve. Uponits inner face the hub 5 is formed with a recess 13 for the clearance ofthe hourwheel 11 and with a recess 14 for the clearance of theminute-'wheel 15 and the pinion 1G thereof. The centering-bridge G isalso formed with a circular opening 17 for the clearance of theseconds-stati 1S which projects forward through it as shown in F el.

Under the construction above described, the large centrally located hub5 of the bridge (3 constitutes a fixed bearing for the circular windingand setting plate or gear member 2 which is thus carried by and centeredwith respect to the clock-movement rather than by the cylindrical band19 of the clock-case which has been used heretofore to center thewinding and setting gear members of keyless clocks of the type to whichmy improvement belongs. The said plate 2, as shown, is formed witaacircular series of segmental slots 2O arranged to eX- pose the regulatorarbor 21 which may be squared for the reception of a key, or which maybe provided, as shown, with a hub having an operating arm 23. In case,in the operation of the plate 2, none of its slots 2O stand over thearbor 21, when the plate comes to a rest, the plate may be slightlyshifted in one direction or the other so as to afford access to thearbor 2l through one of the slots 20.

For the rotation of the vwinding-and-setting plate 2, it is provided, asshown, with three equi-distant radial coupling-arms 24 adapted to entercoupling-slots 25 (Fig. 9) formed in the edge of the forwardlyprojecting externally threaded flange 26 of ab rotary lnnirled windingand setting ring 27 whicl is centered upon the forward edge o'C thecase-band 19. The said ring 2'? is held against forward movement uponthe caseband 19 by tie radial coupling-arms 2e of the plate 2 which isitself held against lateral movement by being interposed between theouter face of the centering-bridge and the inner face of the dial 28which is secured by means of screws 29 directly to the flat outer faceof the hub 5 of the bridge G. llhe ring 27 is prevented from movingrearwardly upon the case-band 19 by the bearing upon the outer face ofthe dial 28, of the dial-mat 30 which rides upon the dial and which,together with the crystal 3l, is located within the bezel 32 which is fomed with a lrnurled rim and provided with internal threads for beingscrewed upon the forwardly projecting externally threaded flange 2G ofthe said ring 27 which thus carries the bezel 82 and is turned by thesame. The plate 2 is thus seen to be centered upon the hub 5 of thewinding-bridge 6 and coupled with the bezel 32 by means of which it isrotated in' one direction or the other7 through the mediun of the ring2, ,vhich has bearing upon the band 19 of the cloc r-case. I prefer tomake the plate 2 sutliciently smaller than the internal diameter of thering 27 to provide an accon modation space il (Fig. sutiiciently arge topermit the clock-movement to accommodate itself in position within theclock-case so as to avoid any binding of the ring 27 upon the case-band'19a whereby the ring` 27 may be litted su'llicieniily closely upon thecaseband i9 to prevent the entrance of dust and dampness into themovement without endangering the binding of the parts should themovement not be accurately centered within the cloclecase. ln that eventthe plate 2 would be free to move laterally in trie annularaccommodation space Bilt to an extent sutlicient to compensate for thewant of concentricity between the ring 2.7 upon the case-band 19 and thecenter of the movement wit-hin the clockcase. u

The external gear 4 carried by the rotary winding and setting plate 2,is normally maintained in mesh with an intermediate winding-and-settingwheel 35 turning upon a stud 3G mounted in the arm 87 of a bellcranl;lever 38 bearing against the inner face of the front movement-plate Sand Lest/,07e

swinging upon a screw 39 as shoivn in Fig. 3, the said plate 8 beingformed with a slot l0 through which the stud 3G extends outward for thecarriage of the wheel 35 which bears upon the outer face of the saidplate and normally meshes into the main winding or ratchet w reel Lilwhich is mounted upon a square winding-arbor l2 held against reverserotation by an ordinary ratchet pawl 43 operated by a spring di. rEhearm a5 of the bell-crank lever 38 is engaged by a spring LlG mountedupon the inner face of the front mevement-plate 8 and exerting ayconstant elort to .sr-.fing the bell-crank l ver 38 so as to maintainthe wheel in constant mesh with the main winding or ratchet wheel al, toprovide for what is commonly known as ratcheting haelt. Ilie bell-cranklever aforesaid forms a swinging carrier for the winding and settingwheel For setting the clocl", l provide a flat7 sheetmetal slidingsetting-arm Ll-Z arranged to bear upon the inner face of the frontmovementeliilate S to which it is secured by means of studs L18, 49,respectively, passing' through a slot 50 in its outer end, and a slot 5lin its inner end, the arm being given an outwardly bowed form for thepurpose of clearance. it its outer end the said arm i117 has a linger 52co-acting with the inner end of a plunger 53 having its outer endprovvided with a button the inner end of which extends over a sleeve 55projecting radially from the case-band l) and forn'iing a hearing forthe plunger` 53. At its inner end the setting-arm el? is formed witl'i arounded nose 5G engaging with the outer end of the arm 3'? of thebell-crank lever 3 l. dl'hen the button is pressed inward so as toovercome t-he tension of the sprino 4:6, the bell-crank lever 38 swingsupon its 39, whereby the wheel 35 demeshef`r` Nrom the mainswindingwheel ll and moved into mesh with an intermediate setting-wheel 3Tmounted on a stud 58 projecting from the outer face of the frontmovement plate S and carrying upon its inner face a wheel 5.() meshinginto the minute-wneel l5. is long as inward p essure is maintained uponthe button lil, the parts of the clock will be in position for setting,which will be effected by turning the bef/el 32 in one direction or theother without, however, imparting any lateral or forward or bacl:movement to it.

moment inward pressure upon the button oli is removed, the spring lowill assert itself to swing the bell-crank lever 3S so as to carry thewheel 35 out of mesh with the wheel and into mesh with the main windingwheel al, leaving the clock-movement again in normal readiness forwinding.

rlfhe clock-movement proper may be of any approved construction, and nodetailed description of it is called for. is shown it is formed With arear movement-plate 60 connected with the front movement-plate 8 bymeans of pillars 6l. The entire movement is mounted within the caseeband19 by means of heavy pillars 62 screwed at their forward ends into theplate 60 and having their rear ends threaded for the reception of screws63 passing from rear to front through the case-back 64 which is fittedsnugly within the rear end of the circular case-band 19.

What I particularly wish to emphasize in connection with my improvementis that the winding and setting gear is centered entirely with respectto the clock-movement rather than with r'espect to the clock-case,whereby I secure a greater accuracy of mesh as well as a great-erfreedom of operation than can be achieved where the Winding-and-settinggear is centered upon the case rather than upon the movement.

I claim I. In a keyless clock, the combination with a cloclecase, of atime-movement having movement plates and Winding-and-setting trains, abearing and positioning hub located upon one of the said movement-platesconcentric with the center shaft of the said movement and smaller indiameter than the plate on which it is located, a winding-andsettinggear having bearing upon the said hub by which it is centered withrespect to the movement, and a rotary winding-andsetting memberconcentric with and centered upon the said clock-case and connected withthe said gear for driving the same.

2. In a keyless clock, the combination with a case, of a time-movementhaving Winding and sett-ing trains, a centering-bridge mounted upon oneof the plates of the said time-movementand provided with a bearing andpositioning hub concentric with the center-shaft of the said movement, arotary winding-andsetting plate turning upon the said hub and carrying agear co-acting with the winding and setting trains of the said movement,and a rotary bezel centered upon the clock-case and connected with thesaid plate for the operation thereof, whereby the saidwinding-and-setting plate and gear are centered and positioned by thetimemovement rather than by the case.

3. In a keyless clock, the combination with a case, of a time-movementhaving Winding and setting trains, a centering-bridge fixed to themovement and provided with a bearing and positioning hub concentric withthe center-shaft of the said movement, a winding-and-setting platehaving rotary bearing upon the said hub and provided with an annulargear co-acting with the winding and setting trains of the movement, anda rotary bezel bearing upon the clock-case, the said plate and bezelbeing coupled together with capacity for accommodation with respect toeach ot-her, whereby the said plate is centered and positioned by themovementrather than by the case.

1l. In a keyless clock, the combination with a clock-case, of atime-movement having winding and setting trains, a centeringbridge fixedto the movement and having a bearing and positioning hub, a dial fixedto the said bridge, a cir ular winding-and-sctting plate having bearingupon the said hub, interposed between the said bridge and dial andprovided with an annular gear co-acting with the winding and settingtrains of the clock, and a rotary bezel mounted upon the clock-case andcoupled with the said plate which it rotates, whereby the said plate iscentered and positioned by the movement. rather than by the case.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES I'I. BELL. Iitnesses IILLIAM A. ARMoUR, FRED I. ROBERTS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

